The ARU had been deciding whether to remove either the Melbourne Rebels or Force but, after a two-week arbitration with RugbyWA, the ARU said they had decided to "discontinue the Western Force Super Rugby license".

The Rugby Union Players Association issued a swift response, declaring the ARU's decision as the abandonment of the game's "national footprint".

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The Australian Rugby Union [ARU] has removed Western Force from Super Rugby, but is adamant Western Australia won't be abandoned by the 15-man game.

"Today's is the darkest day in the history of Australian Rugby with the custodian of the game confirming their desire to end the tenure of the Western Force and abandoning the game's national footprint."

"The future of professional Rugby in Western Australia will now be the collateral damage of the decision making of the ARU and SANZAAR to expand Super Rugby to a convoluted and complicated 18 team structure against various advice and modelling received which explained the associated risks."

"Players, staff and their families at the Western Force have been put under unprecedented and, quite frankly, completely unreasonable duress throughout this ridiculous and destructive process."